Sheet cutting and folding machine.



. BARBER SHEET CUTTING AND FOLDING MACHINE.

Patented Feb.1,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 1:13., WASHINGTON, D. c.

Witness.-

H. M. BARBER.

SHEET CUTTING AND FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4.1915.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

3 SHEETS$HEET 2- Iowa M07":

H. M. BARBER.

SHEET CUTTING AND FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, IBIS. 1,170,186. Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON. D. c;

press can be used HOWARD M. BARBER, OF STONINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO 0. B. COTTRELL &

SONS COMPANY, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

snnnr CUTTING AND Specification of Letters Patent.

FOLDING MACHINE.

' Patented Feb.1,1916.

Application filed June 4, 1915. Serial No. 32,171.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HOWARD M. BARBER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Stonington, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sheet Cutting and Folding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby the speed of continuously moving groups of sheets may be retarded and the groups of sheets folded off at a surface speed less than the speed of travel of the web as it passes through the press and into the cutting and folding machine, means being provided also for forcing the collected groups of sheets away from the surface of their constant speed transfer cylinder before the retardation of the sheets takes place, and means being provided also for holding the sheets free from the action of the variable speed transfer cylinder while the sheets are being removed by the slower running folding cylinder.

In sheet cutting and folding machines as heretofore produced where the folding mechanism operated at the speed of the press, the output of the press was materially limited by the inability of the folding mechanism to act successfully at as high a speed as the press was capable of operating, the speed of the press being thereby necessarily tied down to the highest efficient speed of the folding mechanism.

By my invention, a folding mechanism operating at a lesser speed than that of the in conjunction with the press without additional strain on the folding mechanism thereby permitting the running of the press at a much higher rate of speed than heretofore possible.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents the machine in side elevation, Fig. 2 represents a diagrammatic secticn taken from front to rear intermediate the side frames, Fig. 3 represents in detail certain of the cam mechanisms, and Fig. 4 represents a section taken fro-m front to rear adjacent to the far side frame.

The web as it passes from the press not shown herein is led over the roller 1 and is the-I1. engaged y pa r o sirlae z ree ie;

carried by a diagonally arranged endless carrier, each side chain 3 of which passes around upper and lower pulleys 4, 5. These side grippers 2 carry the web downwardly between guides 6, 7, and 8, 9, through a pair of rotary coacting cutters 10, 11, carried by shafts 12, 13, into position to have the advance edge of the web grasped by the grippers 14 of the collecting cylinder 15 carried by the shaft 16. The first sheet is carried around by the grippers 14 and registered with the second sheet cut from the web and the two sheets are transferred to the set of grippers 17 on the constant speed first transfer cylinder 18, forming part of the collecting mechanism. The collected group of two sheets is transferred from the grippers 17 to the set of grippers 19 on the variable speed sec nd transfer cylinder 20 carried by the shaft 21.

Three folding cylinders traveling at a constant reduced speed are provided for imparting a first and second fold to each group of sheets, the first cylinder 22, carried by the shaft 23 having two sets of grippers 24-, 25, and two tucking blades 26, 27. The second cylinder 28 carried by the shaft 29 is provided with two sets of folding jaws 30, 31, arranged to coact with the tucking blades 26, 27, respectively. 28 is further provided with two tucking blades 32, 33. The third folding cylinder 34 carried by the shaft 35 is provided with two sets of folding jaws 36, 37, arranged to. ccact with the tucking blades 32, 33. A dc.- livery cylinder 38 carried by the shaft 39 is provided with two sets of grippers 40, 41, arranged to take the twice folded groups of sheets from the jaws 36, 37, respectively, and deliver them to a suitable delivery device, such as an endless pocketed delivery carrier 42. Slitters 43 on shafts 44 are arranged to coact with the cylinder 38 for slitting the twice folded groups of sheets lengthwise of their travel into two or more sections if so desired before they are delivered to the delivery device.

The cylinders 22, 28, 34, and 38, are driven through the gears 45, 46, 47, 48, from the gear 49 so as to each make one revolution for two revolutions of the press or, in other words, one-half revolution for each folded This cylinder driven a constantspeed through the gears 50, 51, 52, 53, 5-1, so as to makeone revolution for each revolution of the press, or, in other words, one revolution for each folded product. The rotary cutters 10, 11, are driven from the gear 54 through the gears 55, 56, to make two revolutions for each revolution of the press. The collecting cylinder 15 is driven from the gear 54: through the gear 57 so as to make two revolutions for each revolution of the press. The sidegrippers 2 of the endless carrier are moved at the speed of theweb through the gears 58 which mesh with their respective racks '59 on the chains 3[ It will thus be seen that the cutters 10, 11, the collecting cylinder 15, the endless carrier and the first transfer cylinder 18 all have a surface speed equal to the travel of the web and that the cylinders 22, 28, '34, and 38, have a surface speed onehalf the travel of the web.

7 cylinder 18 at the time the groups of sheets are transferred from the cylinder 18 to the cylinder 20, and the travel of the groups of sheets will'be reduced so that they will be transferred to the first folding cylinder 22 at the speed thereof. Fixed cams 62, 63, are

" in g the grippers 1 1 to transfer the first sheet of the collection to the grippers 17. Fixed cams 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, are provided for operating the grippers of the several cylinders in the well known and approved manner for transferring the groups of sheets from one cylinder to the next and for causing the folding mechanisms to properly coact and for delivering the twice folded sheets to the endless delivery device 12. A reversely curved support 83 passes from below the constant speed first transfer cylinder 18 around the upper half of the variable speed second transfer cylinder 20, which support may be arranged to engage the groups of sheets along the margins thereof.

The means shown for forcing the group of sheets away from the periphery of the first transfer cylinder 18'comprises air noz- 'zles 8 1 connected to a suitable blower 85 through suitable piping 86 having an axiallyarranged branch 87 bearing the nozzles blasts of air outwardly through an opening 88 in the periphery of the cylinder back of the set of grippers 17. The action of the air is to blow the group of sheets away from the periphery of the cylinder 18 into engagement with the support 83 so that as the group of sheets is'sloWed down by the variable speed transfer cylinder 20, the sheets will not be fed ahead or otherwise disturbed by clinging tothe constant speed'iirst transfer cylinder 18. This support 83, where it passes around the upper half of the second transfer cylinder 20, serves to hold the sheets free from the action of the varying speeds of the cylinder while the sheets are being removed by the slower traveling folding cylinder 22. A sheet retarding device, such, for instance, as a brush 89 carried by a suitable holder 90 on a shaft 91, may be provided for engaging the group ofsheets as they pass around the upper half of the second transfer cylinder 20. It will thus be seen that as the sheets are being slowed down bythe second transfer cylinder 20 during their passage from the first transfer cylinder 18 to the first folding cylinder- 22, the sheets are blown away from the periphery of the constant speed cylinder 18. It will furthermore be seen that after the sheets have been taken by the first folding cylinder 22, traveling at a reduced speed, the acceleration of the second transfer cylinder will have no effect on the sheets due to their being held away from the periphery of the second transfer cylinder by the support 83 By the term cylinder as used in the description, I contemplate any suitable means for passing the sheets and signatures through the prescribed path and by the term grippers I wish to include any engaging devices suitable for the purpose of leading the sheets or signatures through said prescribed path.

It is evident that various changes may be resorted to in the construction, form and arrangement of the various parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the form herein shown and described. but

What I claim is 1. A sheet carrying mechanism traveling at a certain constant speed, a sheet folding mechanism traveling at a lesser constant speed, an interposed sheet transfer. mecha nism traveling at a variable speed, and means for forcing the sheets away from the carrying mechanism while the sheets are being retarded by the transfer mechanism.

2. A sheet carrying mechanism traveling at a certain constant speed, a sheet folding mechanism traveling at a lesser constant speed, an interposed sheet transfer mecha nism travelingatavariable speed, and means for holding the sheets away from the transfer mechanism while the transfer mechanism is being accelerated.

3. A sheet carrying mechanism traveling at a certain constant speed, a sheet folding mechanism traveling at a lesser constant speed, an interposed sheet transfer mechanism traveling at a variable speed, means for forcing the sheets away from the carrying mechanism while the sheets are being retarded by the transfer mechanism and means for holding the sheets away from the transfer mechanism while the transfer mechanism is being accelerated.

4. A sheet collecting mechanism traveling at a certain constant speed, a sheet folding mechanism traveling at a lesser constant speed, an interposed sheet transfer mechanism traveling at a variable speed, and means for forcing the groups of sheets away from the collecting mechanism while the sheets are being retarded.

5. A sheet collecting mechanism traveling at a certain constant speed, a sheet folding mechanism traveling at a lesser constant speed, an interposed sheet transfer mechanism traveling at a variable speed, and means for holding the groups of sheets away from the sheet transfer mechanism while the same is being accelerated.

6. A sheet collecting mechanism traveling at a certain constant speed, a sheet folding mechanism traveling at a lesser constant speed, an interposed sheet transfer mechanism traveling at a variable speed, means for forcing the groups of sheets away from the collecting mechanism while the sheets are being retarded by the transfer mechanism and means for holding the groups of sheets away from the transfer mechanism while the same is being accelerated.

7 A sheet carrying mechanism including a transfer cylinder traveling at a certain constant surface speed, a sheet folding mechanism including a folding cylinder traveling at a lesser constant surface speed, a sheet transfer mechanism including a transfer cylinder traveling at a variable surface speed, and means for forcing the sheets away from the surface of the constant speed transfer cylinder while the sheets are being retarded by the variable speed transfer cylinder.

8. A sheet carrying mechanism including a transfer cylinder traveling at a certain constant surface speed, a sheet folding mechanism including a folding cylinder traveling at a lesser constant surface speed, a sheet transfer mechanism including a transfer cylinder traveling at a variable surface speed, and means for holding the sheets away from the surface of the variable speed transfer cylinder while the cylinder is being accelerated.

9. A sheet carrying mechanism including a transfer cylinder traveling at a certain constant surface speed, a sheet folding mechanism including a folding cylinder traveling at a lesser constant surface speed, a sheet transfer mechanism including a transfer cylinder traveling at a variable surface speed, means for forcing the sheets away from the surface of the constant speed transfer cylinder, while the sheets are being retarded by the variable speed transfer cylinder, and means for holding the sheets away from the surface of the variable speed transfer cylinder while the cylinder is being accelerated.

10. A sheet collecting mechanism including a transfer cylinder traveling at a certain constant surface speed, a sheet folding mechanism including a folding cylinder traveling at a lesser constant surface speed, a sheet transfer mechanism including a transfer cylinder traveling at a variable surface speed and means for forcing the groups of sheets away from the surface of the constant speed transfer cylinder while the sheets are being retarded by the variable speed transfer cylinder.

11. A sheet collecting mechanism including a transfer cylinder traveling at a certain constant surface speed, a sheet folding mechanism including a folding cylinder traveling at a lesser constant surface speed, a sheet transfer mechanism including a transfer cylinder traveling at a variable surface speed and means for holding the groups of sheets away from the surface of the variable speed transfer cylinder while the cylinder is being accelerated.

12. A sheet collecting mechanism including a transfer cylinder traveling at a certain constant surface speed, a sheet folding mechanism including a folding cylinder traveling at a lesser constant surface speed, a sheet transfer mechanism including a transfer cylinder traveling at a variable surface speed, means for forcing the groups of sheets away from the surface of the constant speed transfer cylinder while the sheets are being retarded by the variable speed transfer cylinder and means for holding the groups of sheets away from the surface of the variable speed transfer cylinder while the cylinder is being accelerated.

13. A sheet transfer cylinder having a certain constant surface speed, a sheet folding cylinder having a lesser constant surface speed, a variable speed transfer cylinder operable to take the sheets at the speed of the first named transfer cylinder and to transfer the sheets at the speed of the folding cylinder and means for forcing the sheets away from the surface of the firstnamed transfer cylinder while the sheets are passing therefrom to the second-named transfer cylinder.

14. A sheet transfer cylinder having a certain constant surface speed, a sheet folding cylinder having a lesser constant surface speed, a variable speed transfer cylinder operable to take the sheets at the speed of the first-named transfer cylinder and to transfer the sheets a the speed of the folding cylinder, and means for holding the sheets away from the surface of the secondnamed transfer cylinder While the sheets are passing therefrom to the folding cylinder.

15. A sheet transfer cylinder having a certain constant surface speed, a sheet fold-v ing cylinder having a lesser constant surface speed, a variable speed transfer cylinder operable to take the sheets at the speed of the first-named transfer cylinder and to transfer the sheets at the speed of the folding cylinder, means for forcing the sheets away from the surface of the first-named transfer cylinder While the sheets are passing therefrom to the second-named transfer eylinder, and. means for holding the sheets away from the surface of the secondnamed transfer cylinder While the sheets are being transferred therefrom to the folding cylinder.

16. A sheet collecting mechanism traveling at a certain constant speed, a sheet folding mechanism traveling at a lesser constant surface speed, a variable speed sheet transfer mechanism. arranged to transfer the sheets from the collecting mechanism to the folding mechanism, andmeans for preventing the sheets from being disarranged by their retardation When passing from the collecting mechanism to the transfer mechanism andby the acceleration of the transfer mechanism during their passage to the folding mechanism.

17. Sheet cutting, feeding and collecting mechanism having a certain constant speed, sheet folding and delivery mechanism having a lesser constant. speed, sheet transfer mechanism having a variable speed, and means for preventing the sheets from being affected by the speed of the collecting mech anism while the sheets are being retarded-bythe transfer mechanism and from being affected by the acceleration of the transfer mechanism While the sheets are being transferred to the folding and delivery mechanism.

18. Sheet collecting and transfer cylinders traveling at a certain constant surface speed, sheet folding and delivery cylinders travelingat a lesser constant surface speed, an interposed variable surface speed transfer cylinder, means for forcing the sheets away from the constant speed transfer cylinder While the sheets are being retarded by the variable speed transfer cylinder and means for holding the sheets away from the varia ble speed transfer cylinder While the sheets are being fed to their folding cylinder and the variable speed transfer cylinder is being accelerated.

In testimony, that I claimthe foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name this second day of June, A.'D. 1915.

HOWARD M. BARBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

